James Hartley - a general history

Lives lost December 1856;

Voyages: March 1857 arrived at Southampton from Hartlepool to load for Bombay; 24 March 1859 arrived at Singapore to load a cargo of opium; June 1859 Eliza, the wife of John Hook, died of cholera. On 1 April 1859 Charles Bathurst, steward, & John Hook, master, were empowered to sell the vessel.

James Hartley sailed from Shanghai on 6 October 1859 bound for Hong Kong with two cabin passengers, a few Chinese on the forward deck & about 50 officers & crew & went aground on the Tungki Rocks about ninety miles from Hong Kong. Three firemen drowned trying to get ashore. A passenger later gave an account to the journal Overland Register of the loss of the vessel later on that evening which was published on 29 October 1859.

‘At noon, Captain Hook had a good observation; also Capohi Point was seen some eight or ten miles off, the bearing I do not remember. On going on deck after dinner, the wind, which was fair, had freshened considerably, and the vessel was running under steam & canvas about eleven knots per hour. Owing to the strength of the wind, the nearness of the land, and the thick weather, the steamer's course was altered a whole point for the sake of safety. A little after six o'clock, while taking in the lower studdingsails, suddenly some one forward cried out ' A boat a-head !' when the captain,   who was walking the deck at the time, ordered the wheel hard a-port ; but it had hardly been turned a single revolution before the men forward cried out, ' Rocks a-head, rocks a-head, hard a-starboard !' The wheel was instantly changed, and the order given to reverse the engines, at full speed backwards, which was done, but it was too late. With her momentum, and under full press of canvas, the vessel rushed steadily on towards the fatal rocks. Those moments of approach were fearful; and when the vessel struck, the concussion was severe, but she struggled on, being b.e forward by the force of the waves until her bows seemed to catch on the shelving rock, when her speed was checked, & she began to fill and settle aft. In the darkness of the night, amid the roar of the breakers, the rushing of the wind & waves over the vessel, the bursting of the sails & the cries of the Chinese, the scene was one calculated to try the stoutest heart. No pen can describe it, for it was man's extremity. While many of the Chijnese prayed & cried, others commenced to smoke opium, though some worked with a will.

As far as could be judged, only the forward part of the steamer seemed to hang upon the rocks; & the fear was that the heavy seas would break her up, or work her off bodily into deep water, and every soul perish. About twenty feet to the south of the vessel, near the bow, a small rock stood out of the water some fifteen feet high. It was resolved to attempt to reach this rock. While the officers, with the assistance of   some of the men, were attempting to bridge the space to the rock by means of a spar, three of the firemen, in their eagar haste to save themselves, lost their lives. The spar was soon placed on the rock, and about half of the crew gathered on its narrow top. Many of us preferred to risk the vessel to the rock, which could scarcely have held all; and in case of pushing, or a heavy sea, many must have fallen off into the boiling waves. As the ship promised to hold fast, those on the rock returned on board early in the morning. The night was one of fearful anxiety. After daylight we could see our position. We had struck on the Tungki rocks, about ninety miles from Hongkong. The main rock was smooth & oval shaped, some thirty feet high, distant from the ship 300 or 400 yards. As the wind continued to increase it was resolved to reach this rock, as the vessel might go to pieces or work off into deep water at any moment.

The chief officer, Mr. Harris, volunteered to carry a line to the rock, though attended with great peril. Fastening around his body a life preserver and a line, he made the attempt, & had nearly succeeded, when a heavy sea swept him from his vantage ground amid the breakers. Completely exhausted, his body bruised and bleeding, he was drawn from the sea, & had to abandon the attempt which came so near costing him his life. At low tide, the attempt was next made by a Lascar, called Long, who succceded, amid the hearty cheers of all. A   hawser was finally passed to the main rock, and during the day some provisions, water, & most of the men were drawn to the rock. In the afternoon seven small junks sailed near us, but none came within speaking distance. Most of Friday was spent in getting one of the life boats to the rock, in order that some of the men might intercept a ship or junk, or even go to Hongkong for assistance; as we all felt sure that when the weather moderated scores of Chinese pirate boats were sure to surround us. The labor of landing this lifeboat was severe, but it was carried from the steamer over the breakers by means of a hawser fastened to the mainmast & on the rock. That night we went to rest with gladder hearts, intending to launch the boat at daylight. Just before daylight on Saturday the weather, which had been stormy, having moderated during the night, the sentinel informed the captain that three Chinese boats were approaching. Immediately everybody got up to see who were coming, and, if necessary, to guard the only spot where a boat could possibly land.

By 8 o'clock there were no less than 70 of these pirate boats in the vicinity of the rock, each boat carrying from six to ten men, armed with spears and knives. They were a savage looking crew, half-naked, or covered with all sorts of old patched clothes, & eager to plunder. While these boats were gathering we mustered what arms we could, determined not to let the men land. Knowing we had arms, they were, afraid to approach the single place of landing, but were waiting for the waves to subside until they could approach the rock at other points. One man was permitted to land in order to show that we were friendly, & to see upon what terms he would rescue us, & to gain time, as there were four men still on the steamer, and a Hongkong boat, approaching. As soon as the last man left the vessel, all the boats except two made for her. No one on the rock believed that any of the Chinese could get on board, but some succeeded, though several boats were swamped in the attempt. The first that the pirates took from the steamer were her guns; but in lowering them down they proved too heavy, swamped the boats, & drowned the men within.

As all the Chinese were within plundering the ship, except those in the two boats mentioned, Captain Hook ordered the life-boat to be launched, so as to reach the Hongkong junk, which was beating to windward. The attempt, however, failed, as it was dashed against the rock and broken. We had to wait, therefore, the approach of the junk. The captain, whose name is Ah Po, against the wishes of his own men, resolved to go on the rock, saying he knew Englishmen, & that, they would not harm him. He came near in his little sampan, when a rope was thrown to him, and he was drawn up on the rock. An agreement was soon made between him and Captain Hook to take us all to Hongkong, though the former knew the risk he ran, in case the boats turned on him. The two boats belonging to the pirates offered to carry the men from the rock to the junk if well paid, agreeing to surrender their arms. It was a dangerous arrangement, but it was the best that could be done. As soon, however, as the boats around the steamer saw what was going on, thirty or forty of them started for the rock. The captain of the junk quickly sent a 4lb. ball in the midst of them, which made the whole fleet pause & rest on their oars. The junk kept off and on, near the rock, and as often as any of the boats attempted to come near, they would be fired upon. Several of the pirates thus lost their lives. As soon as the last man left the rocks, the boats came up, and a general scramble took place of the things left behind.

On board the junk we were treated very well, and brought safely to Hongkong on Sunday evening last. One of the chief reasons for writing this humble account of the wreck is to bear testimony to the great kindness of this Chinese captain. At great personal risk to himself, also to his property and men, he volunteered to rescue us from a worse than watery grave, days of thirst, and hunger, and bloodshed.

It may be very naturally asked how the steamer was so far out of her proper course. The question can only be answered by saying that it was an error of judgment, for certainly Captain Hook was too deeply interested, both as regards his pocket, as well as his reputation & life, to be careless in the navigation of his ship on the China coast. All the officers of the vessel worked manfully in the midst of hunger, rain, and loss of sleep, & saved nothing but their lives, & those entrusted to their care. Often was the acknowledgment of a Divine Providence expressed in our hearing; & it is the writer's hope that all who face the perils of the deep may be as kindly protected by the Father of all as were the officers, passengers, & crew of the lost vessel James Hartley.’

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